KathaKaravan is accepting submissions from filmmakers with projects from or about South Asia that are seeking representation to financiers, producers, distributors, agents and film festival programmers. Entries may be in screenplay, work-in-progress or finished film form. Narratives and documentaries from writers, directors and producers at any career level will be considered.

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KathaKaravan is an initiative of FilmKaravan. FilmKaravan discovers, develops and disseminates high-quality South Asian independent films for a global audience through its multi-platform alliances.

hi
i have just completed a fiction on tribal music and and local industry in the age of this global economy and technology.
BAHA- language – Nagpuri with english subtitle. length – aprx. 2 hours
i would like to send it to appropriate film festival and market. will any one help me in this regard.
please find a news paper cutting on the film
thnaks
shriprakash
jharkhand
india

Shri, we focus on documentaries here, but the upcoming festivals that come to mind are Toronto, Sundance and Berlin. The advice we usually give is to go after the biggest and best first, especially for your world premiere. Lots of luck.

"Natural Heroes" is the Emmy award-winning Public Television series featuring independently produced films and videos with a common theme: real people making a difference for our environment and enhancing the world around us.

We're seeking compelling stories that feature people challenging current environmental standards and conditions. Programs that encourage thoughtful questions and realistic answers, that broaden our understanding of our place in the world.

"Natural Heroes" is now in its fourth season, and is currently being seen by PBS viewers on over 70 affiliates across the United States.

Accepted works will be packaged for broadcast and distributed to Public Television stations. If you feel your film is a good fit, download the submission form, read the call for entries, and send us your film!
NO entry fees. Info at: www.naturalheroes.orgQuestions? Email naturalheroes{at}krcb.org

I am a programmer for the 2nd Annual Cinema Verite – Iran International Documentary Film Festival – which takes place in Tehran October 15th-19th, 2008. We're still looking for films to feature in the following categories (see hidden section). Let me know if you or someone you know has a film that fits into any of these categories. We will fly out a number of the filmmakers to Tehran with four nights stay (and we'll take care of visas for you as well). Looking forward to hearing from you.

America is no longer the strongest, the best, biggest and most powerful country in the world. The American Dream is fading away as the American way of life is slowly forgotten. What will become yesteryear's utopia in the post-American era?

Our Era

Our era is a strange era. Our era, is the era of science, end of darkness and the reigning of machines. Our era, is one of fragmented identities, lost pasts and virtual imagery. But our era, is still an era of fanaticism and oppression, blind politics, dictatorships, injustice and hunger. The documentary film is committed to reflecting our times, our era.

Our Universe

Once upon a time, the nature served as a source of inspiration for artists, philosophers and poets alike. Today, nature is witnessing its own destruction in the hands of an ignorant self-serving mankind with suppressed anger. Are we going to return to nature? Or are we going to destroy it oblivious to our own demise?

Doxperiment

Somewhere between dreams and reality, storytelling, direct observation and experimentation, the documentary film greets experimental cinema with open arms. New experiences are born from this union.

Special Screenings

Watching the documentaries in this section is an experience beyond a personal journey of exploration. These screenings take us to the far corners of the world through the eyes of some of the world's most adventurous and worldly documentary filmmakers.

Online discussion about the funding initiative, co-hosted by Cara Mertes, Director of Sundance Documentary Film Program, happening July 15-30 on www.social edge.org.

The Sundance Documentary Film Program, in partnership with the Skoll Foundation, will provide $1.2 million in film project grants to new feature-length independent documentary films about social entrepreneurship (including the work of specific social entrepreneurs).

Films at any stage of development, production or post-production may apply. Completed films will not be considered. The initiative anticipates funding up to 8 films in the range of $30,000-$150,000 per project. Editorial control must be retained by the filmmaker(s).

Hi, my name is Heather, and I am in need of some help/advice. I recently graduated from NYU, and was filming my documentary thesis on BASE jumpers (people who jump off of "B"uildings, "A"nntenae, "S"pans, and "E"arth objects such as cliffs and caves using a parachute). It's mostly illegal and very dangerous but I've been able to shoot some really great stuff. You can view bits on my youtube site (http://www.youtube.com/tribepictures).

Anyway, to cut to the chase, one of the guys that I've followed around for a year, affectionately nicknamed Maggot, was just in a motorcycle accident this past saturday that has left him paralyzed from the chest down!! That is, unless he can get funding to go to China where they will treat him with their knowledge of stem cell research ...

Doctors have given a deadline of one month before he is deemed permanently paralyzed, and the race to help fund his operation(s) and transportation is underway.

Maggot was the first BASE jumper I had the privilege to meet, and he was with me on my first skydive! Aside from documenting him, he has become a true friend and someone that I see everyone fall in love with. I would absolutely love to follow his journey through this, and I feel like this is really the story I should be following instead of just BASE jumping ... but I've run out of money! Does anyone know of any immediate doc grants or wealthy patrons of documentaries?! I would love any help! I know this is more like a pitch but I'm so frazzled right now by recent events that I just need second opinions. Thanks!!!

Heather, if I knew of any I'd send them your way... But what an intense and crazy story. I want to know what happens! Definitely KEEP THE CAMERA ROLLING. Stem cell research might be an unexpected subject for you to dive into, but given you have a totally engaging and spectacular subject that could be something of a dead end dramatically (BASE jumping), going into Maggot's accident and WHY STEM CELL RESEARCH IN THE US IS IMPORTANT, or more precisely why he has to go all the way to China (if stem cell research is indeed the issue) and wether he makes it or not, might catapult your project to another level.

This may be hard to come to terms with, but helping him get to China shouldn't be your main or only focus. You are a filmmaker, so FILM WHATEVER HAPPENS. Either way you have an extremely powerful flesh and blood example of the real implications of bigotry and narrow minded science policy. Listen, I could go on with this for hours but you shouldn't be reading this. You should be filming Maggot and his doctors and everyone who cares about him and is trying to get him to China.

I don't know, maybe you don't want to just ditch your BASE subject. I'm sure there's a lot more to it than Maggot. But I know that if you manage to combine the two, or rather to start with one story that suddenly, brutally turns into another, it will not only be a faithful record of your experience as a filmmaker, but it will also be a much more powerful film. One that more people will care about and one you'll get more funding for, short or long term. Try stem-cell advocacy groups, they might have ideas.

And there's a handful of docs on the subject that could probably point you in the right direction.

Maybe if you can convince one of these groups of how powerful an advocacy tool your film would be if you could show how stem cell research did indeed save this person from paralysis, and that he had to go all the way to China to get it, they might help you find the money for the trip.

heather,
i don't normally advocate people to take out loans on their credit cards, but if that's what you need to do in order to fly to China and accompany your subject, then that's what you need to do. if your gut is telling you that this is one of the key parts to your story, you can't miss it.

it's nice to approach foundations and organizations, but there's absolutely NO way that they are going to give you the money you need that quickly – especially not to a recent film-school grad who doesn't have any prominent broadcast credits. so don't waste your time with foundations at this crucial juncture.

the only other option is some wealthy individuals who are either part of the BASE jumping community, or connected to the stem cell advocacy cause. and then there's always your family and relatives... ;)

The request is to fund this person's treatment not figure out how to pay for an $800 ticket to china.

As much as you care about this person, the "China" solution is a scam.
If there were a way to regenerate spinal cord breaks using stem cells, Teddy Pendergass, the late Christopher Reeve, and many other high profile people who have these injuries would be lining up and it would be major news in the medical journals. That is not true.

A decade ago people in my local film community received a similar request for an A.C. who had lost his sight in an explosion to go to Switzerland for an experimental surgery to replace his eyeballs with cameras wired into his brain.

There are unscrupulous doctors around the globe who will do anything to experiment on your body. I understand because I've been there and considered some wild things – thankfully I wasn't facing life as a quadriplegic.

Robert: Sadly, I think that your right, though that could make the story even more interesting.

I would say Heather that a twist like this is the kind of thing that could make a doc leap out from the competition. Consider the excellent "Favela Rising", which went to every festival in the world, HBO, academy shortlist, etc....if that hadn't ended with the main character having a spinal cord injury (which, like your case, had nothing to do with the plot of the film) and valiantly overcoming it, it simply would not have been Favela Rising.

robert, if you read her post, you'll see that it's slightly ambiguous as to what heather is asking money for. but certainly, one of the things she needs is production money. of course, you are correct about the scam nature of all the alternative healthcare remedies in China (and elsewhere).

i agree with nicholas that FAVELA RISING was definitely aided by the lead character's paralysis (and resultant recovery). that, however, is unlikely to be an option in this case. still, documenting this struggle to get one's physical abilities back is going to be compelling on many levels.

Doc /Fest presents the UK's biggest international documentary marketplace and its unique pitching initiative: MeetMarket where, in pre-scheduled match-made one-on-one meetings, documentary makers pitch their newest and most unique projects to dozens of UK and international buyers, Executive Producers, commissioning editors and distributors. MeetMarket provides high quality, original ideas with the possibility to be fast-tracked from development to production, in a supportive and dynamic setting. The projected worth of sales in negotiation sparked at MeetMarket 2007 adds up to £4,321,980, and rising. MeetMarket is a unique and exciting way to pitch and discuss the projects you're most passionate about with the documentary decision-makers who matter

"MeetMarket surprised me: I had an extraordinarily creative response to my film from 23 intelligent men and women who care passionately about documentaries. They reflected my story back to me and I came out richer – not just financially, although I have already been offered money to complete my film, but in terms of valuing my project." – MeetMarket participant 2007

Eyes of the World Media Group is hiring an Associate Producer/Assistant Editor ASAP. Culver City, Los angeles

Eyes of the World Media Group specializes in socially conscious media. Our work reflects the belief that the power of media can raise awareness to create positive change. Currently we are working on METH INSIDE OUT, an innovative educational DVD series on methamphetamine addiction and recovery produced in partnership with UCLA.

Candidate must have significant production and assistant editing experience (in Final Cut Pro, After Effects a plus), strong handle on technology, excellent communication skills, and capability to handle demanding workload.

Pay: Compensation range is $700-800/wk depending on experience. To apply, send resume and cover letter to assistant@eowmg.com.
Location: Our office is located near Sony Studios in Culver City, CA.

Dates: Start immediately, through the end of December.

Please email resumes and cover letters to: assistant@eowmg.com. Please specify in the subject line that you are applying for the Eyes of the World Media Group Assistant Job.

I've been on D-Word for a while but this is my first post. I'm teaching two classes in LA this summer and would appreciate it if you would spread the word to your LA friends.

LA-Based award winning documentary filmmaker Jonathan Skurnik is teaching two classes this summer, one on Documentary Fundraising and the other on the Craft of the Documentary. Both classes begin on Saturday, August 2nd. There's a 10% discount for all D-Word members.

Documentary Proposal Writing and Fundraising: This class is designed to help you create an effective proposal package that will enable you to raise money for your documentary. The class will take you step by step through the proposal process, beginning with clearly defining your story, writing a treatment, creating a budget, designing an innovative distribution strategy and developing your ability to pitch your film with confidence. The class will be limited to six students so each participant will have ample time to workshop their materials in the context of a nurturing and supportive community of their peers. The class meets for three hours on a weekend day for five consecutive weeks. Cost of the class: $395

The Craft of the Documentary Film: Each week we will learn about and discuss a key element of the filmmaking craft—such as conducting interviews, developing characters, and documentary cinematography—and look at clips from classic and recent documentaries to illustrate the brilliant ways that other filmmakers have accomplished their goals. Each class will culminate with an assignment to make a short video utilizing the tools we have discussed. We will then spend the first hour of the following class sharing and discussing our assignment videos. You will finish the course with a body of work, a new–found confidence and pride in your filmmaking skills, and a group of peers upon whom you can rely to help you make your next film. The class meets for three hours on a weekend day for six consecutive weeks. Access to your own video camera required. Cost of the class: $495

What students are saying about the Proposal & Fundraising Class:
"Story, story, story! Jonathan helps you pinpoint your story because without a story you don't have a film. His proposal writing and fundraising class is one of the best I've ever taken." –Joyce G.

“Jonathan helped pull me out of the morass of details to get me focused on what to say and how to say it. A safe place to exchange and improve ideas.” –Daniel K.

“For a first time filmmaker, Jonathan’s class is an invaluable way to jump start inspiration and bring much-needed focus to the process.” –Dennis L.

What students are saying about the Craft of the Documentary Class:
“Thank you for opening my creative world beyond my expectations. Your class challenged me and helped make my vision even stronger. Thank you for believing in me and guiding me through this process. You have made a great and positive difference to my life.” –Alissa H.

“I so admire your extensive knowledge of filmmaking and the sensitivity and understanding you afforded to each person who attended your class. Everyone came away from your workshop with fresh ideas for staying focused and organized during the production process, as well as a renewed belief in themselves as documentary producers.” –Melissa C.

“It gave me a sense of security that I could do a more complicated documentary and that I wouldn’t get lost in the process.” –Leah S.

“You did an excellent job introducing the nuances and complexities of storytelling and explained the concepts in a fun and friendly manner.” –Thomas B.

“The class exceeded my expectations because it was intense, it had abundant information, and the class dynamic was wonderful.” –Nora L.

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